Dominic Rhodes (right) is congratulated by Colts teammate Jamey Richard after Rhodes scored a touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday night’s game. / ROBERT SCHEER / The Star

SAN DIEGO -- It was Oct. 27, and the Colts had just been humbled by the Tennessee Titans. Their record had fallen to 3-4, and they were facing a scheduling Murderer's Row -- New England, at Pittsburgh, Houston (how'd they sneak in there?) and at San Diego -- and the Colts were one misstep, maybe two at the very most, from throwing away a Super Bowl chance in this post-Tom Brady world.

Now look.

Now look at the Indianapolis Colts, coming home after a remarkable, emotional 23-20 last-second victory over the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

After a full month of living on the jagged edge, of listening to us wonder what was wrong with Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison and the running game and just about everything else, the Colts are in a position to run the table and mount a serious assault at a second title in three years.

On Oct. 27, they were the most confounding, disappointing team in the NFL.

On Nov. 24, less than one month later, they are among the most dangerous teams in the league, a team nobody in the AFC wants to see in the . postseason.

Suddenly, a sixth straight season of 12 regular-season victories or more is not out of the question. Look at the schedule now: At Cleveland, Cincinnati at home, Detroit at home, at Jacksonville and Tennessee at home. And by then, Tennessee might be resting its starters.

From 3-4 to 12-4?

Are you kidding?

And this team still isn't exactly operating on all cylinders. Bob Sanders is perpetually questionable. During Sunday night's game, center Jeff Saturday got carted off the field with a calf injury and was ably replaced by rookie Jamey Richard.

If you want to understand how and why the Colts won Sunday's game against the desperate Chargers, here are today's terms of the day:

Intestinal fortitude.

Guts.

Or, as an old basketball coach used to call them, however indelicately . . . onions.

Fourth-and-goal at the San Diego 1-yard line, the play clock running down, the score tied at 10 early in the third quarter, the Colts go for it . . . and Peyton Manning hits Dominic Rhodes in the end zone for a touchdown.

Rhodes' spike was so emphatic, it's still skipping across Mission Bay.

Fourth-and-1 at the San Diego 48-yard line with 27 seconds left in a game that the Chargers had just tied at 20.

Just moments earlier, the Colts had gotten blown up on a third-and-short try, but Tony Dungy was insistent on leaving this game in his offense's hands. They responded with a monster pass downfield to a wide-open Marvin Harrison.

(Let's be honest: If that play had failed, we would have spent all day today killing the Colts for getting too cute and not running it up the gut. But it worked. Perfectly. So it was a genius call).

A year ago, Adam Vinatieri lost a game here by missing a 29-yarder with time winding down. For him, the flight home from San Diego might as well have been a puddle jumper from Jakarta. Nothing feels worse than letting down your teammates.

This time, though, he nailed a 51-yarder at the tail end of regulation and reminded you again why nobody, absolutely nobody, is better equipped to kick under pressure than this guy. If he doesn't make the Hall of Fame, they should foreclose on the place.

It wasn't even necessary to watch the ball's flight. All you had to do was look at Vinatieri. His arm punched the air immediately, his fist clenched with joy and absolution. There was never a question.

"Adam is a pro,'' said Tony Dungy, who memorably mouthed the word "money'' after a key Vinatieri field goal in the playoff victory over Baltimore in the Super Bowl year. "I think he wanted to come out here and have a game winner.''

Intestinal fortitude.

Guts.

Personally, I like onions.

There was another Colts' protagonist whose heroics likely will get lost in the rush to hail Vinatieri, Manning and the guys who put together that final, game-winning drive. But something has to be said about Robert Mathis, whose sack and strip of San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers turned this game around early in the third quarter.

San Diego was going in for a score, reaching the Colts 9-yard line. After Mathis' play, and Raheem Brock's recovery, Indy drove downfield and scored on the Manning pass to Rhodes. A 14-point swing. A huge play from a guy who's made a bunch of them this season.

(This, too, will get lost in the tumult, but the Colts special teams had its best game in years. Hunter Smith kept the Chargers pinned all night. Kick returner Chad Simpson cemented his roster spot. And the Chargers' eternally dangerous return man, Darren Sproles, looked like he was playing in a little box).

For the longest time this season, the Colts haven't even been on the lead lap, but now, suddenly, they're in the driver's seat. They're not going to catch Tennessee in the AFC South -- c'mon, now, be real -- but if they keep holding serve, they have the head-to-head advantage on Baltimore and New England. For once, they look like they might be heading into the playoffs with something resembling momentum.

It's a matter now of staying hot. And staying healthy. And staying hungry. And brandishing those onions.

Bob Kravitz is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Call him at (317) 444-6643 or e-mail bob.kravitz@indystar.com. Listen to Bob and Eddie White 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WFNI-1070 AM.